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Blu-Ray vs HD-DVD
Hi-Def Formats Sony, among other vendors, co-developed an optical disc format known as Blu-Ray. It is so known because it uses a blue laser to read the optical information from the disk. Because of the wavelength of the laser, it is able to focus to a much smaller degree than a typical red laser. Because if this tighter and smaller focus, the pits etched on the disk are much smaller. As a result of the higher density of data, much more data can be placed onto a Blu-Ray disk as compared to a DVD disk. The Blu-Ray project is separate from the HD-DVD project. The HD-DVD format was created by the same DVD consortium of companies that created the DVD format. The HD-DVD format uses a similar blue-ish laser light to allow for a higher density format. Until recently, HD-DVD's disk sizes were about half of the Blu-Ray disks. Now, both formats can hold about the same amount of space through multiple layers at about 50GB per disk (give or take). Format War As a result of both formats being backed by notable large technology corporations, it was inevitable that both groups would give it a valiant effort to have their format adopted as the standard. So far, it's been a toss-up. One format would entice a studio over, but that didn't make the format a shoe-in. The turning point of the war was when Warner Brothers turned to Blu-Ray. Events rapidly spiraled down, for example NetFlix scrapping HD-DVD in favor of Blu-Ray. HD-DVD is currently considered defeated by Blu-Ray. Blu-Ray Info "Blu-ray, also known as Blu-ray Disc (BD), is the name of a next-generation optical disc format jointly developed by the Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA), a group of the world's leading consumer electronics, personal computer and media manufacturers (including Apple, Dell, Hitachi, HP, JVC, LG, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Pioneer, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TDK and Thomson)." HD-DVD Info "HD DVD shares the 12cm diameter and 1.2mm thickness of the current generation of DVD discs, yet is able to deliver eight hours of High Definition video on a dual-layer, single-sided disc. Enhanced interactivity, multi-media functions, secure AACS content protection and the capacity to store ten thousand average MP3 tracks on one disc means that the HD DVD format matches the real-world needs of today’s consumer market. For the IT industry, a double-sided HD DVD-R disc can hold up to 30GBytes of data. For replicators, there is the reassurance that today’s DVDs can be produced on tomorrow’s HD DVD lines." Note that this HD-DVD information shown above was created in 2005 per the PDF it was derived. Compatibility issues Most discs produced in HD-DVD format are 'combo' disks. This means they contain both HD content and also regular DVD compatible content. Because of this 'combo' format, HD-DVD disks are compatible in both DVD players and in HD-DVD players. Blu-Ray disks are, however, compatible only with Blu-Ray players only. These disks cannot be placed into a DVD player and play. With Blu-Ray, there is no backward compatibility to DVD like the HD-DVD format. Quality Both HD-DVD and Blu-Ray have well enough space to accomodate full 1080p resolutions combined with full uncompressed audio. Thus, there is no technical differences in the playback quality. Players In the Blu-Ray camp, the most notable player is the Sony PS3. This player is technically a gaming console, but also contains a Blu-Ray player since the PS3 games are distributed on BD-ROM disks (Blu-Ray data disks). As of this writing, the cheapest PS3 is $399.99 for the 40GB hard drive model. The cheapest standalone Blu-Ray player is around $288 (via Nextag). Also as of this writing, the cheapest standalone HD-DVD player is around $200 (via Nextag) which is still half of the cost of a PS3, but close (~$88 difference) not that far from the cost of a standalone Blu-Ray player. Occasionally, stores may put Blu-Ray or HD-DVD players on sale for substantially cheaper prices as one-day sales or as an incentive. Buzz Out Loud References *' ' *' ' *' ' *' ' *' ' *' ' **Voicemail: The HD-DVDs we got. *' ' **Email: Real reason Warner went Blu-Ray *' ' **Xbox 360 could back Blu-ray *' ' **Finally, a Blu-ray player that costs less than a PS3: The $350 Philips BDP7200 **Paramount to drop HD DVD? **Paramount to not drop HD DVD? **Email: Whither HD VMD? *' ' **Email: HD war better not be over *' ' **The party for HD DVD is over, literally *' ' **HD DVD gets 'community screening' while Blu-ray pulls ahead in Europe *' ' *' ' **Email: Toshiba A2 HD DVD firmware upgrades unit to 1080p! *' ' **Philips and Lite-on announce a $199 Blu-ray drive *' ' **Sony CEO sees 'stalemate' in disc fight **Voicemail: What about ripping HD DVDs? **Voicemail: HD DVD players "down"convert. Why? *' ' **Blu-ray's DRM crown jewel tarnished with crack of BD+ *' ' **90,000 HD DVD players sold in one weekend *' ' **Kmart says it still supports Blu-ray *' ' **Best Buy follows Wal-Mart with $100 HD DVD player **Email: No HD DVD deals in Oklahoma **Email: Kmart drops Blu-ray players *' ' **Toshiba HD-A2 HD DVD player: $100, this Friday, Wal-Mart *' ' **Wal-Mart now selling Toshiba's A2 HD DVD player for $198? *' ' **Toshiba nixes Xbox 360 with built-in HD DVD rumor *' ' **Toshiba to field HD DVD-equipped Xbox 360? *' ' **Panasonic: Blu-ray will win the war by New Year's Day References External Links * DVD Forum * Blu-ray Consortium * Sony * Sony Playstation * Blu-ray Ripper * Warner Brothers Entertainment * Toshiba * The Authoritative Blu-ray Disc FAQ by Hugh Bennett * The Authoritative HD DVD FAQ by Hugh Bennett B B